Moderator: Laura Mattei, Sudbury Valley Trustees Malin Clyde, Nature Groupie (based at Univ. of NH)

Camille Duquet, TerraCorps Tom Mullin, Unity College

Building Volunteer Engagement and Service Learning in Stewardship

Empowering generations of outdoor enthusiasts to volunteer for nature in New England…

…because we know what a network of nature lovers can do to change the world

Identified Needs of the Conservation Community*

* Includes land trusts, state and federal agencies, towns, other conservation organizations

Increased capacity to care for and study lands and waters Create a culture of stewardship in New England

Recruit volunteers for nature-based projects using online registration system

How Can Land Trusts Use

Download (free) Stewardship Training Guides to train volunteers

Get help navigating the world of stewardship, citizen science, and volunteers through a (free) subscription to The Compass

Recruiting Volunteers:

Events Calendar

Join the Community:

Sign Up

Weekly Bulletin for Volunteers

Join the Community

The Compass (quarterly news for partners)

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2014 2015 2016 2017

Nature Groupie Growth 2014 - 2017

Volunteer Sign Ups Event Posts Members

Subscriber/Members

Event Posts

Volunteer Sign Ups

Mark Glowacki UNH college student “I’d like to volunteer more, but it’s not something I can just set a specific time aside to do because…you’re juggling work and school and social life and everything. So it’s nice to say, ‘Oh, there’s something in a few weeks that I’m interested in’ and I can see how I can contribute to that and get something out of it.”

Nature Groupie Extension Fellowship: A Case Study for Internship Collaboration

• Funded by private charitable donations to UNH Extension • UNH Extension recruits and hires students • Partners apply for interns for 2-week stewardship and citizen science projects • Student(s) conduct 4-5 field projects during 10-week summer internship • Partners gain stewardship capacity, engagement with students • Students gain job experience, a living wage, and introduction to local

organizations and real-world conservation issues

Nature Groupie in Massachusetts

Calendar Map in MA

The Network Mapped!

Organizations: Events:

Land Trusts

Conservation Commissions

Trail Organizations

Watershed Organizations

Volunteer Research Organizations

Clean-Up days

Invasive Plant Removal days

Citizen science project

Science Trainings

Trail building and trail maintenance

Users and Events

Successful Users: Sudbury Valley Trustees

Regional Land Trust

Committed to posting volunteer days on the network (10+ events)

*Volunteers registered through Nature Groupie directly *

Spring Garden Clean Ups Garlic Mustard Pull Buckthorn Pull EDDMaps Training

Successful User: Conservation Commissions

Townsend Conservation Commission

Squannacook River Clean-Up Events reoccurring throughout Summer 2017

Clear river for canoes and restore wildlife habitat

“Having never organized anything of this magnitude we needed a means of getting the word out about our effort, recruiting volunteers and a way for them to sign up

for one of the five Saturdays that we had scheduled for the clean-up. The Commission is a volunteer board and our staff is part-time, so any way that the

process can be streamline and organized was imperative. This we found in Nature Groupie. Posting our event on their website was made simple by following the

detailed instructions provided by the Network. As a matter of fact the description that we posted on the website became our press release. We were notified when a volunteer signed up for a shift with their contact information. This simplified the

planning process greatly. We had a successful 2017 clean-up and are looking forward to a 2018 clean-up for which we will definitely be utilizing Nature Groupie

again! “ – Karen Hill, Townsend Conservation Commissioner

Successful Users: TerraCorps

37 AmeriCorps members

Urban Agricultural Groups and Land Trusts

Opportunities for volunteer engagement

23 Service Sites state-wide

Engage the un-engaged!

Organizations: Volunteers:

Access to training guides

Increase volunteer numbers and skill set

Volunteer registration

Part of New England wide community bigger network and reach

Diverse volunteer opportunities

Increase skill level

Wildlife ID

Invasives

Networking and social opportunities

Inclusive community

Nature Groupie User Benefits

Service Learning/Community Based Learning and Land Trusts: ABC’s for Success

Tom Mullin

Unity College

2018 Massachusetts Land Conservation Conference

INTRODUCTIONS

Tom Mullin

Associate Professor Parks and Forest Resources Unity College

National Association of Interpretation Board Member

Fellow of National Association of Interpretation

Donald Harwood Award for Faculty Excellence in Service Learning from Maine Campus Compact

Member at Large, ATC Stewardship Council

WORKSHOP OVERVIEW

How to developing an effective community based learning/service learning program

Best Practices

How to manage and mentor students within their academic needs

Statewide resources for connecting with students

Definitions and Academic Jargon

Service Learning

Community Based Learning

Campus Compact

Service Learning and Community Based Learning Defined…

Community-based learning

Service-learning

Campus Compact 35 states and regions http://www.compact.org/

SERVICE LEARNING

FRAMEWORK

Typically one to three months, can be longer in some cases. May have a hourly component. Think semester time frame

Generally a one time experience, but can be more

Typically unpaid but costs often picked up

Usually part of an educational program- credit bearing class

Distinguished from volunteer experience by established intentional learning goals/objectives

Promotes educational, personal and professional development

Focus matching a project with the course objectives for particular class that meets the community partner’s need

Project Based Academic Experiences

KOLB’S EXPERIENTIAL

LEARNING CYCLE

What?

So What?

Now What?

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Students

Supervisors/site contact

Faculty

COMMON COLLEGE

COMPONENTS OF SERVICE

LEARNING

Established Learning Objectives

Observation

Reflection

Evaluation

Assessment

Public Presentation

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN

YOU ARE READY TO PARTNER

WITH A COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY 1. You have time to think and plan for a project.

2. The primary goals of your organization are met.

3. You have an available willing staff member to serve as a mentor/ supervisor/content person

4. You have the basic resources need to support the additional help or project. ….”um, we need a map of the property”

TOP 3 REASONS NOT TO

PARTNER WITH AN

COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY 1. Funding was cut and you need free labor in order for

your organization to function or to get basic functions done.

2. You need it now!...like within a couple of weeks

3. We need the free labor to get the job done and students will easily do the job with little oversight by me

Other reasons?

GETTING STARTED

Step 1: Set Goals

What does your organization hope to gain from the partnership?

Are you looking for additional help on a project?

Are you growing quick and needing new talent?

Are you a non-profit that doesn’t have a lot of money but can provide a meaningful and rewarding experience?

Are you looking to introduce land conservation to emerging professionals?

Working with college students can be like herding sheep

STARTING AN SERVICE

LEARNING PARTNERSHIP

Step 2: Write a Plan

Identify and analyze needs within your organization

Determine the scale, scope and appropriateness of how students could help meet those needs. (Specific project, day-to-day support, research, etc.)

Draft a project description

STEP 2 CONTINUED

What sort of academic background do you want in an student/class

Who will have the primary responsibility for supervising the class/student?

What will the they be doing?

Will you provide training opportunities outside of the project itself ?

What is your time frame for completion? What is their timeline for academic work? Must match

Brainstorm ideas

Case Examples. Mural, Park and Forest Resources, Interpretive Methods, Admin and Organization

ESTABLISHING A COMMUNITY

BASED LEARNING PROGRAM

Step 3: Recruiting Partners

How will you find college partners connections?

Start early!

Develop relationship with local CBL-Service Learning resources.

Take a look at college’s course offerings and who is instructing them. Contact directly

Social media sites, college websites, professional organizations, college/university CBL-Service Learning Office

PARTNER RESOURCES

Campus Compact

http://www.compact.org/

Campus Compact of Southern New England

http://ccsne.compact.org/

College and Universities in Massachusetts that are members

of Campus Compact Amherst College | Assumption College | Babson College | Baypath College | Bentley

University | Berkshire Community College | Boston Architectural College | Boston University | Brandeis University | Bridgewater State University | Bristol Community

College | Brockton Hospital School of Nursing | Bunker Hill Community College | Cape Cod Community College | Clark University | College of the Holy Cross | Emerson

College | Emmanuel College |Endicott College | Fitchburg State University | Framingham State University | Gordon College | Greenfield Community College | Hampshire

College | Harvard University | Holyoke Community College | Lasell College | Lesley University| Massachusetts College of Art and Design | Massachusetts College of Liberal

Arts | Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences | Massachusetts Institute of Technology| Massasoit Community College | Merrimack College | MGH Institute of Health

Professionals | Middlesex Community College | Mount Holyoke College | Mount Ida College | Mt. Wachusett Community College | North Shore Community

College | Northeastern University | Northern Essex Community College | Pine Manor College | Quinsigamond Community College | Regis College | Roxbury Community College | Salem State University | Simmons College | Smith College| Springfield College | Springfield Technical Community College | Stonehill College | Suffolk

University | Tufts University | University of Massachusetts Dartmouth | University of Massachusetts Lowell | University of Massachusetts Medical, Worcester | University of

Massachusetts Amherst | University of Massachusetts Boston | Urban College of Boston | Wellesley College | Wentworth Institute of Technology | Western New England University | Westfield State University| Wheaton College| Wheelock College| Williams

College| Worcester Polytechnic Institute| Worcester State University

PARTNERSHIP REMINDERS

Choose your Partners Carefully. Make it work for you and the student/class

Seek written plan/documentation of the agreement. Not an absolute, but helps establish professional connection

Have all the contact information in place. Phone, email, other numbers for all college connections

STEP 4: MANAGE THE

STUDENTS

First few beginning days are defining days

Provide clear expectations

Provide orientation

Provide resources needed to do the job

Check in on the students. Find out their schedule

Give lots of feedback

Evaluate performance every few weeks

TOP 10 CONCERNS OF

STUDENTS

1. Give us Real Work.

2. Do what you say, and say what you do.

3. We like feedback.

4. We want to be included.

5. Please Explain.

6. I want a mentor

7. A minute of your time, please.

8. Be prepared.

9. Um…I need a chair.

10. Trust me to do the job

LEGAL ISSUES

Disclaimer

Workers’ and Unemployment Compensation/ Liability

(College- Student- Worksite)

International Students

What to do if it’s not working out?

ENDING PROJECTS

Certification of Completion/Appreciation/

Recognition

Letter of Recommendation

Formal thank you and debrief

Invite to a board meeting for presentation

Complete required college paperwork- evaluation

Public presentation

Newsletter profiles

Provide closure

SOURCES & REFERENCES

Service Learning: Learning by Design: EPA US Government http://www.epa.gov/osw/education/pdfs/svclearn.pdf

Campus Compact (National Organization)

http://www.compact.org/

Q & A